The Destruction Of Markets, Attacks On Igbo Lives, And Demolition Of Igbo Plazas and Investments – Is Lagos Safe For Igbo Businesses?

Persecution Of Ndi Igbo In Nigeria: It is quite obvious that the persecution and suppression of Ndi Igbo in Nigeria have not stopped, and have continued to gain momentum as the years go by.

Even though many Nigerians would deny it, we can’t run from the fact that Igbo businesses and people are targeted by federal and state governments.

This leaves us with the question: what has the Igbo done to deserve such attacks through policies and actions of governments and individuals in Nigeria in this time and age?

The year 2023 has been filled with a lot of unfortunate incidents for Ndi Igbo in Nigeria. Just like every election year in the past, the Nigerian polity was heated up, and as usual, Ndi Igbo became targets for political suppression, arson, bullying, and malicious government policies.

The bullying and attacks on Ndi Igbo became heightened mainly because our brother, Peter Obi was contesting the presidency. His popularity and qualifications, especially in the stronghold of the APC candidate, Bola Tinubu, who is a Yoruba man, put a target on the back of Ndi Igbo. And Ndi Igbo faced threat after threat in the West (mainly Lagos), in the weeks leading to the presidential elections of February 25^th, 2023. After the threats, they would be met with the burning of their shops, attacks on their lives and property, demolition of their businesses, and the arrest of their old men.

Burning Of The Igbo Dominated Akere Spare Parts Market in Ajegunle, Lagos, On March 8, 2023

On Wednesday, March 8, 2023, Yoruba thugs loyal to the APC, incited by Femi Fani Kayode (plus other Yoruba politicians), set the Akere Spare Parts Market in Ajegunle, Lagos on fire. The Igbo traders confirmed that their shops and goods worth millions of naira were set ablaze by political thugs seeking to intimidate them against voting for their preferred candidates in the governorship election that followed the presidential elections.

The burning of the Igbo-dominated Akere spare parts market was a way for the Yoruba political elite (who are loyal to the APC) to say that Ndi Igbo were not wanted in Lagos and that Ndi Igbo despite all they contributed to the economy of Lagos, had no right to vote for a candidate of their choice.

In a most inciting statement, Femi Fani Kayode, the spokesperson of the All Progressive Congress (APC) presidential council, said that there was an agenda by Ndi Igbo to take Lagos from the Yoruba people. He made all manner of provoking statements, including saying that the Labour Party governorship candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, was working with IPOB, and was planning to dethrone Yoruba traditional leaders to install Igbo traditional rulers.

The above inciting rhetoric was well-crafted lies and propaganda to hurt the Labour Party candidate of Lagos state, but more importantly to set Ndi Igbo up for slaughter in Lagos. And their plans worked, as Yoruba youths and thugs started to burn Igbo businesses and attack them in their homes.

These bullying and attacks on Ndi Igbo continued on social media, and would later form the basis of Western politicians and government officials making inciting remarks about Igbo involvement in politics in their region, and how Ndi Igbo were trying to dominate them in their land.

Demolition Of Alaba International Market By The Lagos State Government

The bullying of Ndi Igbo would continue after the 2023 governorship elections in Nigeria. This time it was a grander plot, from the Lagos State government, to target Igbo traders in Alaba International Market.

The state government had on Sunday, June 18, commenced the demolition of 17 buildings which it tagged distressed structures at the market.

The general manager of Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Gbolahan Oki, who spoke on the exercise two days earlier, claimed that the affected buildings had been marked for demolition since 2016.

The president-general of the Alaba International Amalgamated Association, Mbonu Geoffrey, in an interview, said that some buildings that were not initially marked and with no signs of defects were demolished during the exercise.

He also complained categorically that the market leaders were not carried along, and the traders were not given enough time to evacuate their wares/goods, and this in turn led to the avoidable loss of goods and properties. Mbonu went on to say that “the demolition has brought hardship and loss of livelihood”.

The more troubling aspect of the demolition was talks about the state government concluding plans to take the market from the Igbo traders and hand it over to some Chinese investors to establish a multipurpose market. Although this is at the level of insinuation at this point, it is most likely that the plans are already underway.

The body language, speech, and actions of some key functionaries of the Lagos state government, and their foot soldiers, before and after the elections show that Ndi Igbo are no more wanted in Lagos. And the government has commenced steps to dispossess Ndi Igbo of their abundant investments in Lagos. 

The demolition of the Alaba International Market followed a recent outburst by the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa. Obasa said that the Lagos state lawmakers would go to any length in protecting indigenes, even if they had to reverse existing laws in the state. In his inciting and aggressive speech, he said that “Lagos is a Yoruba land, as against the assertions of some people that it is a no man’s land.”

In a similar propaganda and statement to paint Ndi Igbo in a bad light, three days after the March 18 governorship elections, Bayo Onanuga, the director of media and publicity of the All-Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council, mocked Ndi Igbo for losing in the elections, and accused Ndi Igbo of interfering in Lagos state politics.

He took to social media and said “Let 2023 be the last time of Igbo interference in Lagos politics. Let there be no repeat in 2027. Lagos is like Anambra, Imo, or any Nigerian state. It is not No Man’s Land, not Federal Capital Territory. It is Yoruba land. Mind your business.”

When you add the fiery speech and propaganda of Femi Fani Kayode, the proposals of the Lagos state Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, and the unguarded utterances of Bayo Onanuga, to the demolition of Alaba International Market, you will understand why we maintain that there is a dominant and continuous persecution of Ndi Igbo in Nigeria.

In light of this visible persecution of Ndi Igbo in Lagos, former education minister, Oby Ezekwesili, requested that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu provides sufficient evidence to show/prove that the demolition of Igbo businesses at Alaba International Market is not politically targeted at Igbo people.

Arrest and Imprisonment Of Aged Igbo Biafran Veterans In Enugwu On 30^th Of May 2023

On the 30th of May 2023, which was the Biafran Heroes Remembrance Day, a group of old Igbo men numbering 57, were arrested in Enugwu, Nigeria. They were old Biafran War veterans, in their 90s, 80s, 70s, and 60s, who were holding a peaceful walk of solidarity on the streets of Enugwu, in memory of the 5 million Igbo who died during the bloody genocidal Biafran war of 1967-1970.

The men were thrown into prison and were later arraigned in court on charges of treason. Many of them were sick and bedridden. Some had urine pipes planted on them, and others suffered from diabetes, High blood pressure, and other old-age-related diseases.

According to government reports, the old Igbo men were part of the Biafran Zionist Federation (BZF), led by Benjamin Onwuka. The group after assembling at Okpara Square Enugwu, was said to be heading to the Enugwu State Government House, to register their support and solidarity with the in-coming governor, who was just sworn in a day before, when they were stopped by five vans loaded with policemen and arrested. They were then taken to the State Criminal Investigation Department where they were detained without food, till the next day.

The following day the 31st of May 2023, they were arraigned at the Enugwu magistrate court and remanded in prison custody by Magistrate J. I. Agu following a charge brought by the Commissioner of Police Enugu State. They were arraigned and imprisoned on charges which bordered primarily on treasonable felony.

Eyewitnesses said that the elderly men were not a threat to anyone and that they were not bearing any arms or dangerous weapons.

According to the lawyer, Charles C. Ukor, who was presented with their charge sheet, and who took to Twitter to give an account of their ordeal, “of these 57 men, one is 90 years old while four are in their 80’s (86, 83, and two 80). Twelve of them are in their 70’s ranging from 78, 77, 76, 75 etc. Twenty of them are in their 60’s (69, 68, 67, etc.). Seven of them are in their 50’s.”

31st May, 2023 was horror come alive as a 90 year old man, several elderly men in their 80's, 70's, 60's, 50's and others visibly feeble, sick & worn were all remanded in prison custody by Magistrate J. I. Agu following a charge brought by the Commissioner of Police Enugu State.

— Charles C. Icc #Stardust (@C_C_Ukor) June 1, 2023

He went on to say that “these men, people’s grandfather, fathers, uncles are lying in custody tonight whatever cold and blight the weather brings. In their condition, it would take a miracle for all of them to survive whatever time they’ll be spending in custody. Some are so frail they require a hand to stand if they could stand at all. Some of them can’t even urinate without assistance and end up peeing on themselves. The sight was quite hard to swallow. I wanted to comfort some of them but words failed me. The words formed a lump in my mouth and stuck to my throat. You could tell too that some of them aren’t fully aware of what has transpired in Court and what just might now lie in store for them.”

The lawyer also provided the certified true copy of the charge sheet, and the record of the proceedings of 31st May 2023. Count 1 alleges a conspiracy to commit treasonable felony, while Count two alleges that the defendants participated in activities “aimed at dethroning the Government of Enugu State.”

Now, how is it possible for these dying old men, who were not bearing arms to attack and dethrone the newly installed government?

If these old men were from any part of Nigeria, would they be treated with such disregard and wickedness?

Of course not. It is because they are Ndi Igbo, and they joined in the remembrance of the 5 million Biafrans that died during the genocide against our people. That is why they are hounded, starved, and thrown into jail to die.

This injustice comes from the hands of one of our brothers, Peter Mbah, the new governor of Enugwu state, in collaboration with the Nigerian armed forces. And what is most painful is that there is no reaction from Igbo leaders. Everyone seems ok with the fact that our old and elderly men can be hounded and disrespected in such a manner.

Demolition Of The Igbo Dominated UTC Complex In Abuja On 3^rd Of June, 2023

Another troubling development that concerns the Igbo in Nigeria is the demolition of the UTC complex in Area 10, Abuja. The issue is not just the demolition of the market, but the fact that the traders were not allowed to remove their goods and properties from the buildings before it was demolished under force and police brutality. This market is a 30-year-old printing market that is dominated by Igbo traders and businessmen.

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) said that the structures were overdue for restructuring and that they didn’t fit into the complex model required for the growth of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

The Deputy Director of Monitoring and Inspection, Department of Development Control, FCTA, Hassan Ogbole, while commenting on the need for the demolition said that “the structures were defective and there was a need to upgrade them to meet up with global business standards.”

It was gathered that the FCT had provided an alternative location for the traders to move to, however, the traders complained that the temporary site was not yet complete and was not secured for their business activities. The traders lamented that many of them were yet to move their goods when the demolition team arrived at the complex.

One of the traders was interviewed, and he said: “We woke up early this Saturday morning to learn that the whole UTC area had been barricaded and demolition ongoing, with people’s personal goods still trapped inside. This is really unfair.”

Another trader, Rosemary Clement confirmed that although a quit notice had been given to them, no definite date was given because the matter was still in court. “I sell award plaques here for over 12 years and this is what I have been using to train my kids in school. With this development, I don’t even know where to start from,” she lamented bitterly.

Other traders said that they had paid for the new location, and were yet to be assigned a shop by the developers, so they had no option but to continue their businesses in the old complex.

When the police and demolition teams stormed the complex, they used tear gas to disperse the traders, while beating some, and arresting others, who tried to protest.

The demolition of the UTC market is indeed a sign that Ndi Igbo are not appreciated or respected in Nigeria. For a market that serves the FCT and its environs, and houses goods and wares worth hundreds of millions, the FCT should have a more respectable way to enforce the evacuation while making sure that the traders took possession of their goods and properties. But as usual, the government in its high-handedness, and with total disregard for the livelihood of hardworking Igbo traders among other Nigerians, took a very harsh decision. And one is forced to wonder if these actions were not intentional to punish the Igbo further, as it seems the percussion of Ndi Igbo has gained momentum with the 2023 general elections giving it steam.

Conclusion

The Igbo experience in Nigeria has not been a smooth one. Year after year Ndi Igbo are subjected to social and political bullying, from all corners of the country, with little regard for those of us who speak up. The Igbo are persecuted, and when our sons speak up, they are arrested and detained without recourse to justice. Our markets are burned, our lives are threatened and taken, our freedom is denied, and in all of these, despite all our contributions to Nigeria, we are referred to as the problem of Nigeria, while our persecution is denied.

The truth remains that there is an unreserved Igbo phobia in Nigeria, and with each election cycle, it festers and grows. Those who are chief in our persecution are quick to deny it. But we will keep reminding them at every turn of their marginalization, suppression, and victimization of Ndi Igbo, through government policies and actions, further expressed by the political elites of the North and West, and acted upon by their foot soldiers.

This Piece Was Written By Chuka Nduneseokwu, Editor-In-Chief, of Voice Of The Sun

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